He Didn't Have To Be
by LaurieLu9
Summary: Hopping on the bus never seemed to cause so many problems. But Luke has problems. Why would he disregard his own daughter for 'another Jess? And what happens when Lorelai has enough?
1. Everything But The Wine Baby

**Summary: Okay so I posted this before and some of y'all got a little confused with it all so here's a little summary.**

**Luke and Lorelai got married when Rory was 6 and they had their daughter; Scarlett, a year later. Its set in an AU so its not bound by season. Rory is now 20 and Scarlett is 13. Liza is Luke niece and Jess's sister. Although she and Jess do not have the same Dad. Jess is living in California and Liza lives with Liz and T.J in New York.**

**Total JavaJunkie and Literati all the way!

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**A/N: Okay this is a joint effort between myself and my fellow Gilmore groupie LiteratiJavajunkie. As always we don't own anything...unfortunately. Not even one of Luke's baseball caps sobs. So please be kind and Read and Review!**

**Happy reading!

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**Chapter One - Everything But The Wine Baby**

_She had to say something. It was just tearing her apart inside sitting on the sidelines, watching from a distance. It wasn't right. This wasn't right. He was so great with her. He showed her how to cook, he showed her how to do the bills, and he showed her HIM. But it wasn't his right. It shouldn't have been him; she was someone else's daughter. And where was he now? God knows. Off parading around, he left._

_"Hi." Luke approached her slowly, unnerved by her blank expression. _

_"Shouldn't you be bossing me around by now? Where's the "COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE gimme now"?"_

_"She's not your daughter Luke" Lorelai whispered, barely able to hear herself. _

_"Lorelai. What's this about?"_

_"She's not your daughter Luke."_

_"ww..what?"_

_"She's not yours. You shouldn't be doing this. It's not fair" _

Luke was stood impatiently just outside of the kitchen his arms folded and tapping on the floor. "How much longer are you going to make me wait out here?"

"Just a few more seconds hon." Lorelai yelled back .

True to her word, a few seconds later she popped her head around the corner and pulled Luke into the kitchen.

He saw a nicely set table, complete with candles and everything. As he walked further in he could smell something, it almost smelt like actual food.

Luke glanced over at Lorelai. "What have you done?"

"Nothing." Lorelai grinned cheekily. "Now if you would like to take a seat." She pulled out a chair for him before heading towards the oven and pulling out some meatloaf. Placing it in the middle of the table she went back over to the counter and brought back dishes of vegetables. She placed them in the middle of the table, picking up a knife she cut up the meatloaf placing some on Luke's plate and some on her own.

Luke carefully studied her before watching her sit down.

"Help yourself to the vegetables."

Luke reached over and put some on his plate." Aren't you having any?"

"Of course, right after I've been for a run around the block." She snorted, digging into her meatloaf.

Luke cautiously looked his food over then looked up at Lorelai.

"There's nothing wrong with it." She laughed. "Yes I did prepare it, but I promise you I washed my hands before."

"Okay." Luke said slowly, before tucking into his dinner.

When they were both practically finished Lorelai set down her knife and fork and looked over at Luke. "So what did you think?"

Luke nodded in appreciation. "Yeah it was good considering your usually a terrible cook."

"Hah! I knew it!" Lorelai said grabbing her cell phone and dialing a number.

"Knew what?" Luke asked confused.

"Told you. I told you didn't I." Lorelai said on the phone. "No he couldn't tell the difference…Sookie St. James you owe me $5...Hang on I'll ask him just to prove you wrong." She turned her attention to her husband. "Honey could you tell that I cooked all of that in the microwave?"

Luke stared at Lorelai, then looked down at his plate.

"Nope he couldn't tell!" Lorelai laughed. "I'll speak to you later Sook!" Lorelai said as she hung up the phone.

"Microwave? All of it?" Luke questioned.

"Uh huh." Lorelai smiled nodding her head. "And you can't go back on what you said, you said it was good."

"Even the vegetables?" Luke totally ignored what she had just said.

"Everything but the wine baby!"

Luke stood up and put the last few bits he couldn't eat in the trash can. "If I wake up in the middle of the night and I'm in terrible pain. Please don't get up and think about taking me to the ER, its probably just the ingredients from that meal eating away at my insides."

Lorelai got closer to Like resting her arms on his shoulders. "Oh, so dramatic."

Luke gave a cheeky smile before leaning in and kissing her.

* * *

"Up, up, up!" Lorelai yelled as she opened her youngest daughters curtains, flooding the room with sunlight. "Come on lazy bones, get that tush of yours out of bed!"

Scarlett groaned and lifted her head out of the covers. "What time is it?"

"Around twelve…ish." Lorelai replied opening up the window.

"What!" Scarlett said jumping out of bed. "I was supposed to meet Hannah at ten."

"Yeah I know. I got inundated with the phone calls, so I told her that you weren't feeling to well."

"You lied to Hannah? She'll find out the truth and then she'll never let it go." Scarlett sighed as she fell back onto the bed and pulled the covers back over her head.

"Don't be so over dramatic!" Lorelai laughed pulling the covers completely off.

"With you as my guide how can I not be?" Scarlett smiled.

"Not funny." Lorelai replied, pulling the pillow from underneath Scarlett's head. "If I have to take the sheet off I will. I will even resort to flipping the mattress."

"Okay, I'm up!" Scarlett said getting out of bed ad throwing her hands up in defeat.

Satisfied Lorelai threw the bed clothes onto the bed before leaving the room,

Scarlett followed her Mother out into the living room.

"Rory!" Scarlett exclaimed throwing her arms around her big sister.

Rory was considerably a lot taller than she was, she followed after their mother. Whereas unfortunately Scarlett followed after the women on her fathers side. But she had those Gilmore eyes.

"Hey Scarlett."

"Mom said you weren't coming back until next week."

Rory had been in California for two weeks in the summer working with a small town newspaper.

"No I wasn't supposed to, but things changed. So I thought that I would come home early and spend some time with my family before going back to school." Rory handed her sister a gift bag with goodies and handed it to her sister.

"Look what I've got!" Lorelai said holding out her right index finger.

"Cool! I've got one too." Scarlett laughed placing the chunky ring on the same finger her Mom had hers on.

"Anyway. You go and get dressed, we're going to 'Luke's'." Lorelai said to Scarlett.

"When are you going to stop referring to 'Luke's' as 'Luke's'?" Rory asked. "I mean you've been married, what…" How old are you now Scarlett?" Rory yelled to her sister who had just made her way to her bedroom.

"Thirteen."

"Fourteen years now. Technically half of that place is yours."

"Because saying 'Lets go to my husbands', doesn't have a ring to it." Lorelai said rolling her eyes. "Plus what would I do with half a diner if I haven't got a Luke to cook in it,"

* * *

The bus station in New York was packed, hot and stuffy. The young girl forces her way through the crowed, cursing the other people under her breath, who just push her in return. Climbing up onto the bus, she stuffed her bag underneath her seat; pulling her Walkman out of one of her jacket pocket, her Oliver Twist out of the other. She placed the headphones in her ears, hit play, found her page and relaxed into her bumpy seat.

* * *

"But Mommy." Rory pouted. "You said I could."

"That is not what happened!" Scarlett said in her defense.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows and smiled. "And you think your memory of this event is somewhat clearer than mine? You were five."

Scarlett hid a smile but tried to keep a straight face. "I never did that."

"Yes you did, then you got up and did a spice girls medley in my old pumpkin Halloween costume." Rory laughed.

"Wasn't that Rory's twelfth birthday party?" Luke said as he caught the last part of that conversation.

"Oh my God!" Scarlett said throwing her hands up in the air. "What is it pick on Scarlett day today?"

"Well pick on Rory day is June 16th, and pick on Lorelai day is every Friday. So yeah I suppose that today could be pick on Scarlett day." Lorelai said.

"Thanks." Scarlett said as she stood up. "I'm going to go meet Dana. See you later." She kissed each of them in turn before leaving.

Lorelai turned to her eldest daughter. "So what are your plans before you go back to school?"

"Probably just hang around here. Catch up with Lane." Rory shrugged her shoulders. "Just stuff."

"Stuff?" Lorelai knew Rory was hiding something, she never usually just did stuff. Rory usually had an itinerary of things to do, a whole freaking list made up weeks before hand. But she wasn't going to ask. Rory would tell her in her own time. It was the sanctity of the Gilmore bond

Lorelai went to say something but was interrupted by Rory's cell phone.

Rory quickly jumped up and ran outside before answering it. Five minutes later she came back in.

"Who was that?"

"Oh…it was um…Tracy from that newspaper I was working on in California. She wanted to congratulate me on the last article I did." Rory lied.

Lorelai nodded her head. Rory knew her mother didn't believe her, but she wasn't ready to get into an argument with her Mom. And that's what there would have been if she'd had found out who really was on the other end of that phone call.

* * *

When the young girl arrived in Stars Hollow it was almost three. She had never been here on her own before, the last time she came here she was nine and was with her Mom and Step Dad.

She scanned her surroundings trying to find something familiar.

She spotted a store which looked slightly familiar and started to advance towards it. Then she saw the place she was looking for. She made her way over and entered, coming face to face with the person she came here to see.

"Uncle Luke!" She cried out, dropping her bag on the floor.

"Liza?" Lorelai said quietly to Rory.

Luke stood there for a moment, before placing his cloth over his shoulder and throwing his arm over his niece's shoulder.


	2. California's A Long Way From Home

**Chapter Two – California's A Long Way From Home**

"Sit down sit down? You want a drink? Food? I'll get you food. coffee? No wait your way to young for that. Juice, is that what young kids drink these days? Soda? No that'll rot your teeth. Anything you want. On the house.." Luke stopped to take a breath smiling at his niece.

She looked good, if a little thin. He hadn't seen her for four years, and she had changed so much gotten taller. Looked a lot like Jess. Luke cocked his head to the side, Jess? Maybe that wasn't a bad thing though. Just because she looked like him didn't mean she was gonna be like him right?

"Uncle Luke? Are you okay? Do I have something in my hair or something?" Liza asked feeling her hair.

Luke shook himself out of his daze. "No. Yeah. I mean I'm fine. No your hair looks great. Ummm, did you want anything to eat?"

"A piece of pie, maybe a glass of water please."

"What? Is that all he's gonna say?" Lorelai whispered to Rory. "I mean where is Liz or TJ? Or whoever Liz is with these days?"

Luke came back over with some pie and a glass of water, he placed it on the table and took a seat opposite her. "So how did you get here?"

"Bus." Liza replied tucking into the pie.

"The bus? Liza that is no place for a thirteen year old girl." Luke started. "If you wanted to come you should have called me, you know I would have come and got you."

"Uncle Luke I wanted it to be a surprise." Liza said with a mouthful of food. "And it wouldn't have been much of a surprise if I'd have called you and asked you to pick me up."

"Bus stations are dirty, filthy places. With all kinds of weirdo's walking around, I mean come on, Kirk gets the bus for Christ sake."

"I live in New York, I see weirdo's every day. And what the hell's a Kirk?" Liza asked confused.

"Ummm Luke, I have a question." Kirk shouted out from the other side of the diner.

Luke pointed to Kirk. "That's a Kirk."

Liza turned to see, then quickly turned back round and finished her pie.

"Well Liz is still with T.J." Rory said quietly, going back to the conversation she and her mother were just having.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow, giving her an _'oh yeah and how do you know' _look.'

"Well I bumped into Jess out in California, and naturally I asked him how everyone was." Rory said quickly defending herself.

"California's a mighty big place and yet you just happen to bump into him?" Lorelai said.

"Yes." Rory answered not looking her mother in the eyes.

The two of them both sat there each content with their own thoughts as they watched Luke and Liza.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home." Lorelai shouted out as she came in through the front door. "Hello? Anybody home?"

"In here." Luke called from Scarlett's bedroom.

Lorelai peered her head around the corner. "What are you doing?"

"Getting a bed ready for Liza." Luke was on his knees blowing up the inflatable bed with his mouth. "Have you seen the pump for this?"

"Excuse me?"

"The pump, to blow up the bed."

Lorelai shook her head. "No I meant about getting a bed ready for Liza. We didn't discuss this."

"Lorelai she's my niece. Our niece. Where else is she supposed to stay?"

"Well maybe she should have thought about that before she hopped on a bus from New York. I mean do you even know the reason why she's here?"

"No, but I'm gonna find out tonight."

Lorelai placed her hands on her hips. "So for all you know she could be running from the police, and we're going to be getting a knock on the door at three in the morning."

Luke stood up. "She's thirteen, why would she be running from the police?"

"I don't know, she is Jess's sister after all. Plus have you even asked your daughter about having a room mate."

"It'll be like a slumber party. Kids still do those today don't they? And just because she and Jess share chromosomes doesn't mean that she's going to turn out like him."

Lorelai sighed and went into the kitchen, and started to make some coffee.

"Is there something wrong?" Luke asked following her out.

"No." Lorelai said keeping her back to him. "Well yeah….No. Its okay."

"Huh?" Luke was confused.

"No there's nothing wrong. I'm good. Just make sure you ask Scarlett before Liza gets here."

* * *

"Hey Sookie. Is mom here?" Scarlett asked, as she and Dana walked into the kitchen at the Dragonfly.

"I haven't seen her for a while now sweetie, is there something wrong?" Sookie turned around knocking a bowl off the side, which Scarlett caught just before it hit the floor.

"No, I was just wondering if she was here. I called home earlier and no one was in." Scarlett said her goodbyes and went out into the lobby.

She and Dana sat opposite the sign in desk, playing truth or dare.

"Okay dare." Scarlett said.

Dana sat up on her knees. "Okay I dare you to go over to Michel and stick a kick me sticker on his back?"

Scarlett smiled and got up, she went over to the desk and wrote on a post-it 'KICK ME'.

"Hey Michel." Scarlett said as she went past him, brushing his back. "You have a white mark on your jacket, let me get that off for you." She stuck the post-it on him.

"I always knew you were nicer than your mother." Michel smiled, thinking Scarlett had done him a favor.

Just as she was going back to the desk the phone rang.

"Hello Dragonfly inn Scarlett speaking, how can I help you."

"What a very pleasant greeting."

"Hey Grandma." Scarlett said.

"Is your Mother there?" Emily asked.

"No, I don't know where she is. Did you wanna leave a message?"

"I just wanted to know whether or not Rory was coming to dinner this Friday?"

Scarlett didn't know whether to lie to her or tell the truth. Did she know Rory was back? "Ummm, I'm not sure Grandma. I'll get her to call you when I see her. Anyway I've got to go, so I'll see you Friday. Bye."

"Goodbye Scarlett."

* * *

"Oh my god Rory. No!" Lane exclaimed as she and Rory were sat at Lane's house. "After what he did to you last time and your going back to him."

"We figured all of that out. He's changed." Rory smiled. "I really think we can make a go of it this time."

"Does Lorelai know?"

Rory looked down at her shoes. "I couldn't tell her. She'd flip."

"Well she's going to find out sooner or later, and you said Liza's here too?"

Rory nodded. "That's another reason I can't tell her, she's not exactly over the moon that Liza's here either. She thinks their just as bad as one another. Anyway I'd better get going, I'll see you tomorrow."

She knew it was wrong to keep things from her mother. It was something that only happened on rare occasions, you know…when the time called for it. Well maybe it did this time. Yes it did. She was convinced. Anything to not cause a problem. She would tell Lorelai when the time was right, when there wasn't friction between Luke and her. When she wouldn't be that mad. She had all the time in the world. He was in California, she wouldn't find out. So what harm could it do to keep it a secret just that while longer?

* * *

Scarlett had just said goodbye to Dana, and they had gone their separate ways. Scarlett decided to make her way over to the diner, she really couldn't be bothered to walk home so thought she'd wait for her Dad to finish up and get a lift home with him.

As she walked closer towards Luke's her eyes opened wide in horror. She could see her Dad with his arm around some young girl. Some young girl who she had no idea who it was.

She watched as Luke led this girl into the store room. Just as she was about to run over find out what the hell was going on, someone familiar almost knocked her down as he rushed past heading straight towards the Diner.

He stormed over to the diner and reached above the door. _"How does he know? Wait…. Is that? Oooooo wait till Mom hears about this!"_


	3. The Ho Ho’s, Twinkies And A Tub Of Lies

**Chapter Three - The Ho Ho's, Twinkies And A Tub Of Lies**

Luke shook his head in disbelief.

"_Of all the things to happen today. Jeez. Everything always happens all at once."_

"Last one up the stairs is rotten egg!" She called directly in Jess' ear.

"Jeez Liza. How old are you? 9!"

"Aw come on Jess. I haven't seen you in 6 months, I missed you." A rare moment of insecurity. As rare for the Mariano's as is for the Gilmore's. A moment to be appreciated. Boy did he appreciate it.

"I missed you too kiddo. But I'm here now aren't I?

They continued up the stairs and into Luke's old apartment.

"Home sweet home." He mumbled quietly. Secretly enthralled to be back at the place he thought of as home, the place he grew up. The place he belonged.

"Sorry did you say something?"

"No…. no its nothing. Lets get settled eh?"

* * *

A soft knock. Such an impossible task at this moment. Her life was spiralling into a weird place. Things hadn't been this complicated for years. They aren't meant to be this complicated. Since when have two star-crossed lovers had such screwed up families? Since when does the whole of the cosmic galaxy combine forces to ruin the peace? Well today everything was ruined. **He** was back. Again. And he would leave. Again. And he would break her heart. Again. Because that's the way it is. And now Lorelai had the task of passing on the message to her precious offspring. Her first born, her life. She loved Scarlett without a doubt. She loved Scarlett more than life itself. But Rory… Rory was different. Rory was hers. She represented the life she made for herself, the life that she had wanted and now shared with Luke. She was not only her daughter, she was her best friend. A connection that no matter how hard she tried, was impossible to find with Scarlett.

"Rory?" Baby steps, that's right Lorelai. One step at a time. You've got to get in her room first!

"Mom? Are you okay? What's wrong? Oh no! Has Paul Anka found your coffee stash again? Or did he find Scarlett's chocolate. I swear she can't be related to us! I mean come on who **just** eats chocolate! What about the red vines? The Ho Ho's? The Twinkies? The crunchy M&M's? Or is it Luke? Is he ill? Wait its not dark day today is it? No… No that's next month…"

"_Wow I did teach her well……… real well. Ok Rory you can stop now… Rory… do do do do aw come on Ror it has to end sometime"_

"Mommy will tell you what happened Hun, but you have to let mommy get a word in…. calm now?" Pause

"Gooooood… Ok well its nothing too bad I swear. But Rory, Hun, I gotta tell you something. Something that you're probably not going to like. I …. Err…. Well you see"

"Now look whose rambling.."

"Jess is back. There I said it… please don't hurt me!" Lorelai cowered back, expecting an onslaught of "WHY? WHERE? WHEN? **WHY**?" but nothing came.

"Oh. Well ok. I guess that makes sense with Liza here and everything… ok. Thanks Mom."

Lorelai was confused. Why was Rory ok with this! She slowly backed out of Rory's room in a daze, practically knocking Luke over.

"Wow! Oh! Hey there. You tell her?"

Lorelai nodded her head, making her way into the living room, out of Rory's ear shot.

"How'd she take it?"

She shrugged her shoulders sitting down on the couch, grabbing a cushion placing it in her lap.

"Ok, I guess. Good actually. Too good. Something's going on here…"

* * *

"But I want the big bed!" Liza stamped her foot hard on the cold, wooden floor and immediately cursed herself for being so childish.

"Hell no. I'm the big brother, I get the big bed!"

_Jeez am I really being so immature and arguing about a bed!_

"But it's my first night here!"

"I always get stuck with the little bed. It's time I got to use this one"

"I…. I have a bad back" Liza looked at Jess with those big round beautiful eyes. And just for that split second Jess actually believed her.

"Your 13! 13 year olds don't have bad backs!"

Liza pouted hard and fast. She wanted that nice big, comfortable double bed and she would stop at nothing to get her way.

_There is no way my little sister is getting a bigger bed than me!_

They stood, staring at one an other for what seemed like an eternity. Knowing that neither one was about to give up.

"Play you for it?"

Liza was quick to respond.

"Five card draw, nothings wild."

"Let the games begin"


	4. Kirk and Rory Sitting In A Tree?

**Chapter Four - Kirk and Rory...Sitting In A Tree?**

Lorelai, was in a way thankful that Jess had come, not that she begrudged putting Liza up. She just didn't want to have to deal with the problem at hand. Plus they hadn't told Scarlett that she was getting a room mate for however long Liza decided she was staying for. Lorelai poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table.

"Good morning sunshine!" Lorelai chirped as Scarlett came out of her room and sat opposite her mother.

Smiling, Scarlett eye balled her mother trying to find the right words to tell her mother what she saw last night.

"What? Have I got something in my teeth?" Lorelai said rubbing her teeth with the sleeve of her sweater.

Scarlett laughed slightly shaking her head. "Mom can I ask you something?"

"Sure you can sweetie, anytime. You know that."

Scarlett shifted in her seat, opening her mouth to say something then changed her mind. "Ummm, if you ever….Well…..if you…"

Lorelai looked over at her daughter, seeing how uncomfortable she was. "Is something wrong? Something going on that I should know about." All Lorelai could think about was that Scarlett was in trouble. _She's 13, about the same I was when I started bunking school and sneaking out of my room. Oh god! What if I'm a rubbish parent and I'm pushing my daughter out the same way Emily did! What if Scarlett's pregnant? Hold on Gilmore! She's your daughter not Emily's! Get a grip, let the poor girl talk'_

"Mom, yesterday…"

Scarlett was interrupted by Luke as he came in the front door. "Hey Lorelai." He called from the hall.

"Carry on sweetie." Lorelai said to Scarlett, who looked as pale as anything.

"Well…"

"There are my two favorite girls." Luke said as he bent down and kissed both of them. "I've brought us a guest." Luke stood to the side revealing Liza stood behind him.

Scarlett's eyes widened in horror, how could her father, her role model, her everything, even think about bringing in that girl from the diner.

"Scarlett you remember Liza don't you?" Luke said nudging Liza forward.

Scarlett felt the color returning back to her cheeks, she smiled slightly nodding her head. "Yeah…yeah of course I remember Liza how could I ever forget!"

"Really? Because I would have never recognized you, the last time I saw you, you had that crazy river dance hair." Liza laughed nervously looking around.

Scarlett took a big deep breath secretly thanking herself that she didn't blurt the whole thing out, making a complete fool of herself.

* * *

As usual the bridge was deserted, Rory sat on the edge dangling her feet over, she then felt two hands cover her eyes. 

"Guess who?" The voice asked.

"Kirk I've told you, not in public. Our relationship is supposed to be a secret." Rory said seriously.

"I swear, more and more like your mother everyday."

Rory turned to face Jess. "Why thank you." She said leaning forward to kiss him.

Jess sat next to her holding her hand. "I've missed this." He said.

"I've missed this too." Rory said referring to the moment they were having. But Jess meant this place, the bridge it was one of his favorite places to get away from the madness that was Stars Hollow. But he just nodded his head in agreement with Rory.

"My Mom knows you're here."

Jess sighed. "Yeah I figured it wouldn't be long before she found out, I thought she'd have been at me with the village and their torches driving me out of town buy now though."

"Please don't." Rory looked up at him.

"Don't what?"

"Make my mother out to be some sort of monster. You know the reason she finds it hard to trust you. I want her to like you." Rory kissed him, taking a deep breath, breathing all of him in. "Please don't give her any reason not to like you, don't get into any trouble."

"I don't plan on being here long enough for anything to happen." Jess went to kiss Rory but she pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean you won't be here long enough? How long are you planning on staying for Jess?"

"Rory you know I can't stay around here, this place is suffocating. It belongs in a Brady Bunch episode." Jess said defending himself. "Come back with me to California. You've as good as got a job at that newspaper place you worked at, and I'm earning money working with Jimmy we can make a real go of things. I promised we would."

Rory took hold of Jess's hands. "But when you said that I didn't think you meant across the other side of the country. You know I can't leave here. Not yet anyway."

Jess pulled away. "Yeah and you know I can't stay here. Jeez Rory, I thought you understood. Jess got up and started to walk, heading back into town. Rory quickly grabbed him by the arm stopping him in his tracks.

"I do understand. We'll figure something out." Rory reassured him.

"I know we will Rory, I know…its just…it can't be like before." He looked away at the still water, so peaceful, calm. Everything he wanted to be.

"Don't you dare leave without saying goodbye. Don't You Dare!" Rory demanded, her voice cracking, eyes threatening to spill over with salty tears.

"I won't leave _you. _I may leave this crazy town someday, but I won't leave you Rory." Jess held her close.

* * *

Later that day Luke was at the Diner getting together his fishing equipment.

"Hey Dad." Scarlett chirped as she and Liza entered the Diner. "What'cha doing?"

"Im getting ready for the prom, what do you think of my dress?" Luke asked dryly.

"Oh Dad. You kill me." Scarlett said rolling her eyes, as she and Liza sat up to the counter.

"Don't do that, you look like your mother."

"So your into fishing Uncle Luke?" Liza asked.

Scarlett quickly answered before her father could. "Do not get him started on that unless you plan on staying here all night."

Liza laughed. "I actually quite like fishing, I used to go all the time with my friend and her Grandpa."

Luke smiled, maybe he'd found himself a fishing partner. "I'm going later if you wanted to join me?"

"For real?" Liza asked excitedly. "I can come?"

Luke nodded. "On one condition. You call your Mom and TJ and you apologize for running away."

Liza huffed and got up from her seat, making her way upstairs to call her Mom.

Kirk, who had been eavesdropping, joined in on their conversation. "Did I just hear you say that you were going fishing."

"Yes Kirk, you did." Luke sighed.

"Fishing is a dangerous sport, my Great Uncle Ronald lost his finger."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "What did he do? Catch a piranha?

"No, the fishing wire wound around his finger, cutting off all circulation. Also with all the blood loss he got light headed and almost lost his footing and drowned."

Luke tried to hold in his laughter. "I'm sorry for your Uncle. Is he okay now?"

"No, he died a couple of years ago, he was hit by a bus."

"Oh my God. Kirk I am so sorry." Luke said his tone of voice instantly changing.

Kirk shook his head. "No, its okay, he murdered his first wife. My Mother said he deserved it."

Scarlett eyeballed her father. "Umm Dad I'm going to go so...umm...can you tell Liza that I'll see her later?" Scarlett quickly left the Diner in a hurry.

"So Luke, do you want Kirk Jr and me to come with you on this fishing trip of yours. I mean just to make sure that nothing happens to you.

Luke simply shook his head, he never had, and never would understand Kirk.

Kirk silently got up nodding at Luke, before going, leaving Luke in tears of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Lorelai asked as she came into the diner.

"Oh nothing." Luke said his laughter subsiding. He reached over kissing his wife. "Oh just so you know I'm taking Liza fishing later so we probably won't be back until about 8ish. So did you want me to make something for dinner and put it in the fridge?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nah, it's okay. Rory was feeling a bit homesick for Al's, so we'll probably just order from there."

"I am more than willing to cook for you every night, yet you still say no. How your not bankrupt yet I shall never know." Luke smiled.

"What can I say?" Lorelai smiled. "Anyway I only came in for a hit."

Luke poured her some coffee, Lorelai kissed him took her coffee and left.

"So what did your Mom say?" Luke asked as he and Liza were walking alongside the lake.

Liza shrugged her shoulders. "Not much, except that she really wants me home. But TJ is a complete nut job, I mean way worse than Mom. And I can't forgive him for what he said Uncle Luke."

Luke stopped setting up his rod. "What did he say?" Luke tried to sound casual, not intrusive.

"Well…."

They then heard a huge thud behind them, and someone groaning in pain.

"What the hell was that?" Luke got up looking into the greenery behind them.

"Captain Kirk, are you okay?" A little voice asked, running over to where the thud happened.

"Affirmative, I'm fine." Kirk got up, binoculars tangled around his neck and arm.

"Kirk what the hell are you doing?" Luke asked, a slight angry tone in his voice.

Kirk got up brushing himself off, giving Kirk Jr. the _'Live long and prosper' _sign.

Liza snorted, she knew Stars Hollow was a haven full of colorful characters, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine someone like Kirk.

"Answer me Kirk." Luke said.

"Well…I thought that….well that I would still come out and make sure that you would be okay." Kirk straightened out his binoculars.

"Captain Kirk. Captain Kirk. I think I'm coming out in hives!" Kirk Jr. Said in a panic.

Kirk lifted up his sons arm taking a closer look. "Oh man, Lulu's going to kill me. She told me not to bring you." Kirk gathered together his things and started to make his way back to town. "Sorry Luke but you're going to just have to be careful I've got to get rid of Kirk Jr's hive before Lulu finds out."

Kirk and Kirk Jr left in a hurry, leaving Luke and Liza stood in fits of laughter.

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**Please Review, if I don't get much feedback from this one this'll probably be the last chapter! Thank you! (",)**


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